Border Patrol agents seize nearly 9 tons of marijuana in 2 days

EDINBURG, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Rio Grande Valley Sector confiscated an estimated $14.3 million worth of marijuana in multiple seizures over the past two days.

Agents assigned to the Falfurrias Checkpoint made the largest seizure Wednesday night. During an immigration inspection of the driver of a tractor-trailer, a Border Patrol K-9 detected the presence. Upon further inspection, agents found more than 10,300 pounds of marijuana hidden inside the trailer.

Another large seizure occurred Thursday when agents assigned to the Rio Grande City Station spotted a marijuana-laden pickup truck traveling away from the Rio Grande. When the driver of the pickup spotted Border Patrol agents and a helicopter from the Office of Air and Marine, he made an abrupt U-turn and sped back to the river. At the river’s edge the driver and a passenger abandoned the truck and crossed the river to Mexico. Inside the vehicle agents found more than 1,500 pounds of marijuana.

Additional seizures brought the total amount of marijuana seized on Wednesday and Thursday to nearly 18,000 pounds.

So far for fiscal year 2013, agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector have seized more than 700,000 pounds of marijuana.